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Authority denies DEEP request to require on-bill payments for energy-efficiency procurements
Summary
The authority denied without prejudice a DEEP/Bureau request to require utilities to facilitate on-bill customer payments for energy-efficiency procurement, finding no proposals had sought on-bill payments and noting speculative system costs and potential ratepayer impacts.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on May 13 denied without prejudice a Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection request to require electric distribution companies to facilitate on-bill customer payments for energy-efficiency procurements.
Authority staff member Danielle presented the decision, telling the panel staff had found no procurement proposals seeking on-bill payments through utility billing systems and that the cost of changing those systems remained speculative and could cause significant ratepayer impacts. Based on those factors, staff concluded the application was moot and recommended denial without prejudice.
Danielle summarized the staff view: “During the proceeding, the authority determined that DEEP received no proposals in response to its energy-efficiency procurement that requested the use of on-bill customer payments using the utility’s billing systems... In addition, the cost of changing the systems to support DEEP's request remains speculative and could result in significant ratepayer impacts. Based on these factors, the authority finds that DEEP's application is moot and denies it without prejudice.”
A motion to consider and adopt the staff recommendation was moved and seconded; a roll call followed and the panel adopted the decision. The denial leaves the substantive question open for future filings; staff noted the record did not currently support an order requiring utilities to implement on-bill payments for the procurement at issue.
Why it matters: requiring utilities to accept on-bill payments for third-party programs can shift administrative burdens and costs into utility systems and bills; the authority’s finding that no proposals requested on-bill payments and that system-change costs are speculative means the authority will not impose such a requirement at this time.
The decision was adopted by roll call. The meeting proceeded to consent items and adjourned; the authority’s next regular meeting is May 27, 2026.
